Trends

Say goodbye to tanks and sleeveless tops — and hello to fall’s new crop of blouses. With bright prints and cool geometric patterns, they really add some oomph to your work wardrobe.

I’m loving these for my weekday routine this fall for many reasons.

1.Polished and unfussy. They look tailored but they’re not uncomfortable, and they pair perfectly with most pants you already have in the closet. Leave them untucked, or do my favorite trick — tuck in the front and leave the back flowing for a very modern look with a slim pant.

2.Bold choices. From silky florals reminiscent of your grandmother’s drapes, to wild 70′s-esque patterns, try on a blouse you might think is a bit too daring. It will look good, I promise. That’s the fun part. It’s just a blouse, so it’s fun to experiment a little.

3. Dressing is a breeze. You wake up, you put on your makeup, do your hair and throw on a blouse. It takes the agony out of choosing an outfit. Even if you have to wear a business suit to work, these blouses are perfect. It’ll jazz up that black suit, and you can ditch the jacket after that oh-so-serious meeting.

The easiest way to transform your outdated kitchen is to slap on a fresh coat of paint to those worn-out kitchen cabinets. And that’s exactly what I plan to do this spring or summer.

I’m not the most timely of DIY-ers, that’s a well-documented fact on this blog. But I hope to knock out this much-needed task soon — yet the paint decisions are driving me crazy!

Do I go all white? Or should I do a universal black-and-white decor? Or, should I be daring and take a risk with a fun color? I hate to get too trendy, or I’ll need to repaint in a year.

So here is what I WILL be using — a two-toned kitchen cabinet color scheme. Darker paint on the lower cabinets, lighter on top.

It’s not terribly new — designers have been using this idea for a few years now. But for those who think it’s too out there, think again. You can really get creative with this trend– while keeping the look sophisticated and subtle.

From a visual perspective, it’s a good idea to keep the darker color on the lower cabinets – love the indigo blue in the above kitchen. Then use a crisp, lighter shade on top. This will make your space look larger. You really can’t beat a bright white for a a clean look.

But just because there are certain “rules” for two-toned kitchen cabinets, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with finishes. This glossy look is a perfect example. The glossy paint from the lower cabinets gives these basic espresso cabinets a modern touch.

This would be a good option for a more traditional kitchen, like mine. Or for those who want an updated, yet approachable look. I for one, don’t want my kitchen to look so sleek and perfect that you can’t get your hands dirty!

And for the more daring, you can still get very creative with kitchen cabinet color, as well. You can choose to color block your kitchen cabinets, so to speak. Paint an island cabinet section white, then choose a bright shade for the opposite block of kitchen cabinets. You can’t go wrong with green, especially this year!

The bottom line in kitchen design is to have fun, be creative and make your kitchen the most comfortable room in your home!

Earlier this week, one of my more opinionated design-type friends posted something to Facebook to the effect that “mint green is never a good idea”. If you’ve seen my nursery or my pick for this year’s Spring color, you’ll know that I VERY strongly disagree. In fact, if you check most of the Spring 2013 Color Forecasts, you’ll find that they disagree as well (like Pantone, Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, and more). So as a bit of a rebuttal, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite products in the hue, along with some swoon-worthy images I couldn’t help but include.

As someone who has been a fan of the Easter egg palette — since birth, really — I couldn’t be happier that color is back in a big way.

This season seems to be replacing last year’s bold brights — aka neon — with hues reminiscent of bright sorbets and sherbets. Think Easter eggs with a bit more saturation. For example, I’m loving the colorful denim that’s in stores right now –it reminds me of my butter yellow Guess jeans from back in the day. Come on, admit it . You had some of those jeans, too!

In light of all our color love, we each picked our favorite spring colors for our magazine’s Welcome page. So I included our reference photos below for a full perspective.

The lesson: Now is the time to brighten your life with some color, whether you buy a new throw pillow, paint a room, or buy (another) pair of yellow jeans.

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Meet the Hive

Prairie Hive takes a peek into real, un-"designed" homes in Oklahoma, along with the people who inhabit them. This team of local designers, photographers, crafters, stylists and writers takes inspiration from everyday families, striving to create entertaining and DIY ideas that are attainable and affordable, and to show you how to get the look for yourself.